Zayo expands Corning partnership to secure long-term fiber supply for AI expansion

Zayo Group expanded its strategic supply agreement with Corning to secure fiber for its plan to add 15,000 new route miles by 2030, driven by AI infrastructure demand. The agreement covers a significant portion of Zayo's projected fiber needs through the decade, supporting its AI-ready network buildout. Zayo CEO Steve Smith said the deal ensures material availability won't hinder meeting customer demand.

Zayo Group expanded its existing strategic supply agreement with Corning. The expanded agreement support Zayo's plans to add 15,000 new route miles by 2030. Zayo stated in its announcement that the extended terms with Corning "secures a significant portion of the fiber Zayo has projected to need through the remainder of the decade." The build-out comes amid Zayo's focus on deploying AI-ready infrastructure as AI-driven demand continues to grow. The company adds that securing this fiber agreement now means it's able to operate with greater flexibility to scale as demand evolves. “AI infrastructure is changing where and how quickly network capacity needs to be built,” Zayo CEO Steve Smith explained. “We understand where demand is moving, and we’re putting the physical inputs in place now to build ahead of it. Deepening our relationship with Corning gives us greater confidence that material availability won’t stand between customer demand and the infrastructure required to deliver it.” “AI is driving a fundamental increase in the amount and density of fiber optic cable and connectivity required across the network,” Corning SVP Steve Mitchell added. “As networks evolve to meet those demands, providers need solutions that can accelerate deployment, increase capacity, and support long-term scalability. Our expanded relationship with Zayo brings together Corning's industry-leading optical innovations with Zayo's network expertise to help build the physical infrastructure required for AI at scale.” Zayo earlier this year announced plans to build 5,000 route miles https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/zayo-outlines-plans-to-build-5000-new-route-fiber-miles-to-support-demand-for-ai/ of long-haul fiber across the U.S. to meet the growing demands of AI workloads by 2030. However, Smith noted to SDxCentral sister publication DCD in May that this planned buildout has since tripled. Zayo's plans to deploy 15,000 route miles by 2030 include more than 8,000 miles of new long-haul fiber in collaboration with Nvidia, while adding capacity across existing corridors where AI infrastructure is concentrating. Zayo's network spans 32 million fiber miles and 224,000 route miles across North America. Former Verizon executive Sowmyanarayan Sampath is set will take over as Zayo CEO https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/zayo-group-names-former-verizon-exec-sowmyanarayan-sampath-as-ceo/ next month, replacing the retiring Smith.